Day 19, “Are you the One who is to come?” Luke 7:1-23

“The Coming One” (v19) is a title of the Messiah known well by the Jews as it comes from many OT references (e.g. Gen. 49:10; Ps. 40:7; Isa. 40:10-11; 59:20; Dan. 7:13; Zech. 9:9, etc.).  John himself referred to Jesus in that way (Lk. 3:16).  Why did John, of all people, ask such a question? 

·        Was it his own concern for his disciples?  Did he send them to Jesus just to encourage their faith?  How could John who had such assurance before, who saw the Spirit descend upon Christ, how could he possibly have doubts?

·        Was it John’s discouragement from his own trials?  After all, Elijah in whose spirit John had come, nearly succumbed to discouragement after the great event on Mt. Carmel (1 Ki. 19).

·        Was it John’s confusion regarding the postponement?  The Messiah coming to earth twice was always God’s plan; but no one else knew this.  John, like all the other OT prophets, would have struggled to understand the sufferings and glory of Christ (1 Pt. 1:10-11).  Maybe John’s faith was severely tested as God’s plan was being worked out, as he himself was in prison and Jesus was beginning to experience rejection.  Remember that the cross of Christ is an offense and stumbling block to Jews and Gentiles alike (1 Cor. 1:21-25) and note Jesus’ reference to being offended in v23.

Personally I believe any of these answers is possible.  We should understand for ourselves the strength of the attack of our enemy, the accuser of the brethren.  Satan is all about creating doubt in the place of faith.  Jesus answers by telling the men to go back and tell John about the miracles they had seen.

·        Healing the centurion’s servant, 7:1-10.  A centurion had 100 soldiers under his authority, and he was under Caesar’s authority.  This centurion had great faith but not for the reason the Jews gave, that he had done such wonderful things.  It was because of his humility (I am not worthy, v6) and his confession of Christ, that He could heal his servant without coming to the house.  Perhaps this soldier had heard of Jesus’ earlier miracle, in the same area, when He healed the son of a nobleman from a distance (John 4:46-54).

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  Raising the son of the widow of Nain, 7:11-17.  (Photo: a woman walking to the entrance of the modern city of Nain.)  The dead man was the only son of the widow so she had no family left to care for her.  Jesus was moved with compassion and commanded the young man back to life.  The response is that the people feared God and then glorified God.  To fear God is to acknowledge His existence and involvement in our lives.  To fear God should then lead us to choose to thank Him and to glorify Him.  

The point is that the miracles of Jesus confirm who He was.  He was the Coming One and the miracles proved it.  Do we fear God who was at work through Jesus?  Are we glorifying Him by believing on His Son?